Where did it all begin?
After many years of operating a successful restaurant, Café Gannet, and Hotel (Protea Hotel by Marriott Mossel Bay). Our founder was looking for a dynamic way to harness the full potential of the property.
The brand aim’s to celebrate the rich history of our unique property and the greater Mossel Bay. On the 3rd of February 1488 Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias landed in Mossel Bay after being washed around the Cape in a storm leaving him forced to make landfall to replenish his supplies while trying to navigate a sea route from Europe to India.
Saint Blaize – was actually Mossel Bay’s first recorded name. When Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias landed here on 3 Feb 1488 – it coincided with the Catholic day of St Blaise and he named it Aguada de São Brás, the Watering Place of St Blaize. Saint Blaize was ironically well known as healer of throat ailments as well as a protector of wild animals.
Ochre Barn
The building in which Cape Saint Blaize is distilled, forms part of the old post office tree square, its is one of the oldest recorded business premises in the Southern Cape and was built in 1846 for the purpose of a warehouse and trading station by the wholesale firm Barry & Nephews.
In 1941 it was purchased by the Golden Ochre company who mined Ochre clay in the Albertina district. It was then railed to Mossel Bay and milled in the factory. The ochre was exported to England and used in the manufacture of paint. Because of its location on top of the hill, the building also served as a beacon for ships coming into Mossel Bay. It is said that a flag pole was used to indicate whether it was safe for ships to enter the bay to load and deliver cargo. Nearly a century later and the Ochre from this era can still be found in the roof trusses of the building today.
1. WATER
The spring with its fresh water was a very good source of refreshments which still flows strongly today is unquestionably the most important aspect of the historic Bartolomeu Dias Museum environment. This spring was commonly used by sailors to replenish their fresh water supply. This fresh water supply is used in the breakdown process of our gin.
2. PLACE OF WORSHIP
The Chapel was built on a rise overlooking Santos beach and was dedicated to Saint Blaize. This structure was the earliest place of worship erected in Southern Africa. The chapel was a place of prayer for many sailors passing through. It is believed that our premises was home to the chapel and until today has still not been discovered.
3. COMMUNICATION
Joao da Nova, chief magistrate of Lisbon and captain of the 3rd fleet, found a letter in a sailors boot in a milkwood tree with first news of the experiences of his fellow-countrymen. This Milkwood tree is famously known as The Post Office Tree in Mossel Bay. The Milkwood tree became a means of communication for sailors passing by.
St Blaize Lighthouse
As mentioned above you can imagine these elements can trigger an over-welling emotion after spending numerous days at sea and seeing the possibility of landfall. A lighthouse is so much more than just a light it’s a beacon of hope.
In 1864(Date on the bottle) the Cape Saint Blaize Lighthouse was built. Having established our name we drew inspiration from the lighthouse in our design processes.
The design of the bottle was inspired by the St Blaize lighthouse on the incredible cliffs of Mossel Bay Peninsula. Our logo has been uniquely designed to resemble a bird eye view of the St Blaize Lighthouse. The Cape Saint Blaize Lighthouse is made with diamond cut windows if laid flat and viewed from above these will resemble our iconic logo design. The design can also be interpreted as rays of light shining out of a lighthouse.
The Saint Blaize lighthouse has a unique group flashing of 2 flashes every 15 seconds. Lighthouses are all different, each having their own unique characteristics used to help sailors identify them.
Ochre
Few people realised that the raw material of yellow and red ochres are the driving forces of all artists palettes. This accounts for the diversity of colours that are still seen in Khoi and San rock paintings. The raw material of the ochres are now being used worldwide as base material for paint pigment production. This was one of the main driving forces behind the existence of our terracotta coloured bottle (Oceanic Gin). Lighthouse’s also generally have 3 main colours: Black, White & Red.
The Bottle Making Process
1. CASTING
Our bottles are cast using a unique mould. The master mould used to create our production moulds was created by a true pottery master. He has dedicated his life to the art of pottery and it is our hope that in the years to come we will be able to pass these skills on to many members of our community - empowering individuals and adding benefit to our beautiful town. After the bottles are casted they are left to dry for 3 days.
2. FETTLING
All bottles are fettled by hand. Fettling is the process where all the rough edges are removed. After being left to dry for 3 days the bottle is now ready to move on to the next phase.
3. FIRING
Our bottles are fired in our kilns to temperatures exceeding 1000°c for vitrification to occur. This process takes 24 hours. On top of our kiln’s there is a statue of a cat. That’s Lighthouse, our Kiln protector. Since the days of ancient Egypt and China civilizations have had kiln deities safeguarding their wares and we have continued this tradition.
Lighthouse is named after a pet feline who formed part of the crew of a vessel which sank due to extreme weather off the coast of Mossel Bay. The vessel remained afloat - although upside down - for two days before finally sinking, taking her crew of 10 with her. There is a monument with the names of all the lives lost at sea, including Lighthouse - the ship’s cat.
4. TESTING
Each bottle is quality tested and sanded by hand. Our quality test checks that the bottle is free of defects which will affect its performance, having said that each bottle is still unique in its own way. Small noticeable difference are what make each bottle a bespoke piece of art.
5. BOTTLING
Each bottle is filled and labelled by hand.
Anna's Legacy
Cape Saint Blaize Gin is distilled in a 700 L Oil jacket Alembic Pot Still called Anna. Mrs Anna Moos was the breakfast chef at our Cafe Gannet Restaurant for more than a decade. As feisty as Anna was she was just as kind at heart, just like our 700 L Alembic Pot Still. She sadly passed away through Covid. Anna’s legacy will forever live through our flavorful spirits.
